Fate Accompli
by Random Guise
Summary: At the end of the 1964 movie "The Great Race", Professor Fate blows up the Eiffel Tower at the start of the rematch race against the Great Leslie; it's what evil rivals do, right? But what happened after that? This four chapter story tells. I don't own these characters or tickets to this week's Daytona 500.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: A follow-up to the 1964 movie "The Great Race".**

* * *

Fate Accompli

"Are you sure you won't go with us?" Maggie Galant asked the bald, mustachioed man who stood beside the car.

Hezekiah Sturdy shook his head vigorously. "No way. You were hard enough to get along with when you were just Maggie Dubois, roving reporter for the New York Sentinel" he said good-naturedly. "Now that you've married Leslie, I don't want to be anywhere near your honeymoon squabbles." Maggie giggled and kissed him on the cheek goodbye.

Leslie Galant III, known by most as simply "The Great Leslie", leaned over from where he was standing behind the wheel of the special motorcar built by the Webber Motor Car Company. "Nonsense! Maggie is an emancipated woman and I am an emancipated man; we share a common appreciation of our positions with each other and with life. Any arguments we have will be of a minor nature. I really would like to have you along, Hezekiah."

The colored streamers were still floating through the air, festooning the man's bald head. "I'll check in with you from time to time to make sure you're doing okay along the route back to New York; we know the car can do it, as long as Professor Fate doesn't sabotage you."

Next to the Leslie Special sat a black, six-wheeled vehicle called the Hannibal Twin-8. At the controls was the aforementioned Professor Phineas Fate. Having heard his name, he turned and gave his best sneer at his rival. "I only won the last race because you LET me" he growled, too low to be heard over the crowd. "This time I'll win MY way. Won't I, Max?" he asked as he turned to the seat beside him.

His assistant Maximillian Meen, who had been polishing a few control knobs, looked at his boss. "You talking to me?"

"WHO ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING TO?" Fate yelled.

"You always yell in the morning" Max commented. "Don't worry, I won't take it personal. With our special modifications we can't lose." The car had already proven that the smoke screen, scissor lift, fog heater and cannon had all worked - any snafu that occurred had to do with timing, not the actual engineering. In the time between the finish of the first race from New York to Paris and the rematch from Paris back to New York, Fate had added a few new inventions to his automobile. Max continued "Besides, you said Leslie would lose thanks to that woman and you were right. Now that she's with him from the start he's gonna lose again."

"He will most definitely lose, Max. Before, he had to devote all of his energy using his charms to overcome her charms. Now that they are a couple, the distraction will be exponentially greater - because now it will be a partnership, and all partners have to have meetings and discussions and debate to choose a course of action while the dictatorship of the Hannibal will provide clear, genus-inspired decisions that will lead to victory."

"Yeah, genus. And if that's not enough, we'll sabotage him and then we can be as stupid as we want. Yeah" Max gloated, basking in the thought.

Fate considered starting the sabotage early by leaving Max behind, but thought better of it only because even a genus had to sleep sometimes. And Max HAD helped rescue him from Baron Rolfe von Stuppe's plan to use him to replace his spitting image, the Crown Prince Friedrich Hapnick of the Kingdom of Carpania. Well, Max AND Leslie that is. Oh how it galled him to admit that he owed at least a part of his freedom to a do-gooder like Leslie. He glanced over again and caught just a glint of sunlight reflected off the man's smile. Disgusted, he turned away.

The crowd cleared a way in front of them and the starter raised his gun in anticipation of the start. Both contestants fired up their vehicles and sat poised; at the report of the starter's gunshot Leslie and Maggie roared off down the road to the cheering of the crowd. Fate waited, and attempted to twirl his mustache only to find that it was still shortened from when Max had broken off the frozen ends in Alaska. He growled momentarily, but the growl turned into a laugh as he watched the Leslie Special speed ahead with a 'Just Married' sign mounted on the rear spare wheel. Max implored the Professor to go, but the Fate waited. When he gauged the time was right, he pulled a lever and spoke.

"Push the button, Max!"

Max pushed the button, and the cannon in the front of the vehicle boomed at the same instant a distant Leslie swerved to the left to avoid a pothole. The cannonball shot past his vehicle and into the base of the Eiffel Tower. The structure started to collapse after Leslie sped past unaware of the calamity behind him.

"Boss! You missed!" Max called out as Fate jammed the car into gear and sped off.

"What do you mean me? You pushed the button" the professor said in rebuttal, shifting the blame away from himself as he hurried to outrun the angry mob that was forming at the starting line. Soon they were on the straight road out of Paris and heading toward the kingdom of Carpania; Fate pushed his vehicle to the limit to overtake Leslie, who set a more conservative pace for the long journey ahead. Honking his horn, the Hannibal Twin-8 squeezed by the Leslie Special and opened up some distance over its rival.

"Max, it's time to nail down our lead" Fate cackled.

"Right Professor!" Max reached for one of the many levers and pulled it down. A box on the front bumper slid open, and a mound of nails and industrial tacks tumbled out and onto the road. There was an immediate double "Pop" and both right rear wheels immediately went flat, shaking the car.

Fate jabbed the brakes and ground the vehicle to a halt before glaring at Max. "Max?" he asked with a voice that resonated thickly like bitter syrup.

"Yeah, boss?"

"Where did you put the box of nails?"

"Well, there wasn't room on the back with the spares so I...uh...put it on the front."

"As in front of our wheels too?"

"Well...yeah...now that you mention it." Max grimaced as Fate took off his top hat and hit him, crushing his Fedora. Grumbling, he got out of the car and went about changing the flat tires while Leslie sped past once again. The professor remained in his sour mood until he regained the lead while Leslie was stopped so that Maggie could set up and take a picture of a road marker with her new camera.

"You see Max? Once again a woman is a secret weapon against one's opponent; neither one realizes that she is slowing him down."

"Yeah, ha ha" Max agreed, "ain't it the truth Professor. Where do you think she gets her film developed?"

...

As the Hannibal Twin-8 neared Potsdorf, Fate made out some disturbance ahead on the tree-lined road. As he got closer, he slowed as several men waved their arms as they stood in the middle of the thoroughfare. A tree trunk lay across the road where it had apparently fallen, and several workmen and carriages were off to the side. The professor pulled to a halt as one of the men came to his window.

"I'm sorry sir, there will be a slight delay while we clear the road" the man informed them.

"That's okay, I'll just go around" Fate said, not wanting to squander the lead he had.

Outside the other window, another man produced a long rifle and shoved it into the cab of the vehicle, the bayonet just inches from Max's nose as it was pointed straight at Fate. With a sigh he resigned himself to the situation. "I, ah, guess we'll wait." The man with rifle motioned for the two to get out of the car by order of the crown; Fate considered activating his new ejector seat timer but decided against it; he didn't know if his life was in jeopardy or not. He watched as another man jumped into the vehicle, backed up, and drove off around the tree. He and Max were ordered into a carriage and with little explanation followed behind his car as it continued down the road.

The carriage entered the town and immediately turned down a side street before pulling up in front of a low building. With a wave of the rifle Fate and Max got out of the carriage and entered through the heavy door. Inside, the room was sparsely furnished with at least a third in shadow due to a lack of windows. A resounding 'thunk' indicated that the door was closed behind them, with their escorts staying outside.

"You'll forgive the less than lavish reception," a voice spoke from the shadows "I would have welcomed you in much more style if my plan had worked out the first time." With a creak Baron Rolfe von Stuppe rolled out of the dark in a wheeled chair. "You'll also forgive me from rising to great you - I suffered a little accident during my getaway from the Great Leslie. I'm stuck in this infernal chair now whenever I need to get around." Despite his opinion of the appliance, he maneuvered it expertly across the room to come closer to the new arrivals.

"I didn't have any part it that" Fate said, pointing a finger. "I kept my part of the bargain until YOU failed."

"Come now professor, let's not cast blame on something that is clearly in the past. And since you are forcibly my guest here, you would do best to listen."

"I take it you have another plan to replace the King with me again? Then have me abdicate to leave you as regent while I continue on my merry way. I imagine he has a lot more protection around him now."

"He may have," Rolfe said as he shrugged "or he might not. Quite frankly, no one seems to have seen him in the last three days."

"Three days? You just don't lose a King, Baron. Maybe he's gone on a trip or something."

"His coach is still here, and there have been no travelling parties leaving the castle in the last week. Something is up, but I don't know what" Rolfe said as he rolled his chair back and forward a few times.

"You've got a man in the castle, don't you?" Max asked.

"A few, actually. But they don't know anything either. The King's physician says he's 'resting'; I could understand if he was passed out from drinking, but even he wouldn't be able to be that way for three days. I must find out what is going on before I can form a successful plan. In the meantime, you two will be my guest while I work out something. News of your return race has already spread through the kingdom, so if someone spots you or your car it wouldn't be suspicious."

"What about Leslie?"

The Baron glowered. "What about him?" he asked, fingering a fresh pink scar on his right cheek.

"He's behind us. He'll catch on and alert the authorities" Max boasted, hating to admit that the man might save the day again.

"Oh, he'll get caught the same way you did. I imagine he'll be joining us soon enough" Rolfe said as he wheeled over to the door and gave a knock. Two burly guards came in and hustled over to a large chest on the floor. With a grunt they managed to slide it to one side, revealing a door in the floor. "In the meantime, you can rest in my guest suite. I'm afraid we're out of fresh towels, but just think of the service you're doing for MY country."

With a wave of his hand Rolfe indicated that he wanted the two to descend through the opening; Max started to lead the way but Fate held him back and took the lead himself without a word. Together they walked down the dark flight of stairs to the cellar below.


	2. Chapter 2

At the foot of the stairs Fate heard the trap door being closed above him as the room darkened, followed by a scraping sound that was no doubt the heavy chest being dragged over the doorway again. As he stood, his eyes became accustomed to the gloom and he saw that he was in what once must have been an abandoned cellar. A narrow slit of light from a horizontal window near the ceiling along one wall was the only illumination, providing just enough light to see a small wooden table, some chairs, and a man sitting quite still against a wall.

"Come to torture me again, Baron? I still won't tell you" the voice said.

"Whoever you are, we are in the same boat my friend" Fate grumbled. The man got up and carefully limped over to the new arrivals. He looked at Max without any recognition, but when his glance turned to Fate there was a spark of recognition. The professor spoke first, asking "General Kuhster?"

"Used to be," he said with the slightest hint of a smile that showed a broken tooth "until I got on the Baron's bad side. Before, I just thought he was cold and calculating - but now I believe him to be quite mad. He forced a select number of us to work for him by threat against Prince Hapnick, and when that plan didn't work he has been sitting stewing and planning ever since. Now I'm just Hans."

"Well, Hapnick is king now so he should be able to take care of this Baron - shouldn't he?" Fate asked.

"Not even under ideal conditions, I'm afraid. The prince was a drunkard and clown; the public loved him, but he was in no condition to run the kingdom. He had no idea what the Baron was doing - basically the mind of a child, really" Hans lamented.

"Well then, why...wait...you said 'was' in no condition. Why do you say 'was'?"

"Maybe he got smarter" Max suggested.

Hans looked upward for a moment, and then leaned forward to speak with a lowered voice. "The king is dead. Drowned in his bathtub, the fool. Only the physician, myself, and two guards know the truth. If news of this gets out it will spread a certain degree of panic in the people; more importantly, if the Baron found out he will seize the opportunity to take power and his rule would certainly not be benevolent." Relieved of no longer holding the burden of the secret, Hans limped back to his seat and collapsed upon it. "I couldn't really hear most of the conversation above, but I suspect the Baron will try to use you again one way or the other."

Fate started to make a retort, but held himself in check as conflict began to churn in him. Being shown up by Leslie was one thing; the man was his rival, but immensely talented. To be used as a pawn by someone else, on the other hand - that was worse. Much worse. Fate actually started to feel bad for the kingdom, and then got mad at himself for feeling that way.

"Not much we can do down here" Max said, looking around before setting himself into one of the chairs. "Do they feed you here?"

...

Two hours later Fate was still engrossed in his own thoughts when they heard some dull noises above. "New arrivals" Hans said softly as he quickly hobbled to the bottom of the staircase and motioned the others to join him. They could hear the Baron speaking, and familiar voices of a man and a woman.

"That's Leslie and Maggie" Max announced.

"Shhh!" Fate commanded.

The exchange above was much briefer then theirs had been with the Baron before they could hear footsteps and the case being drug across the floor. They scurried to their chairs and waited as the trap door opened and two people emerged through the ceiling to walk down the stairs before the door was closed again. Knowing that it would take a few moments for the new arrivals' eyes to adjust, Fate started to say something when he was interrupted.

"Well Professor, we seem to be roommates for the time being" Leslie announced. "Hello Max. And it's General Kuhster, I believe?"

"How the devil can you see us?" Fate sputtered. "I can barely see you right now."

"An old trick. I kept one eye closed when I saw where we were going and when the lighting changed I switched eyes."

"Devilry" Kuhster exclaimed.

"No, piracy actually" Leslie corrected "although some would say the same thing - it's an old trick. I believe we're all acquainted already, so let's sit down and see where we stand."

...

After a short time everyone was brought up to date on the situation, with nothing new left to add to the discussion. Outside, the light was beginning to fail as the evening fell upon the land. Hans dug a lone candle out of a box and placed it on the table and lit it. Soon the room was illuminated only by the flickering of the flame; the heaviness of the silence reflected that of their hearts. Even Leslie, the most optimistic of the lot, sat quietly.

"Why do you hate Leslie?" Maggie suddenly asked, shattering the quiet.

The professor was taken aback with the question. "I don't hate him!"

"Yes you do. I've heard you say it yourself" she insisted.

"You have, boss" Max seconded. "But then again, he hates everything. Especially mornings."

"My question stands - Why do you hate Leslie?"

Fate sighed. "Because he's always winning. Because he's right and proper and clean. Because people look up to him. Because – he's _great_" he said, emphasizing the last word with contempt.

"That happens to be a title for me chosen by others; I didn't name myself that. You have a title - Professor."

"He got his degree through the mail" Max snickered.

"Ahem" Fate interrupted. "It was by correspondence yes, but I did all the coursework for it."

"So let me see if I understand so far" Maggie continued. "You hate him for his title, but you have one too. You hate him for being clean, although I've seen you spotless yourself - just in black, not white. You've held almost as many records as him."

"Yes, but he breaks my records" Fate interrupted.

"And others will break his in time, as you will see. He doesn't always win; I seem to recall a race recently that he DID lose. And people look up to you too."

"Name one" the professor said, trying to understand.

"Max. He looks up to you."

"That doesn't count; Max works for me so he has to."

"No I don't" Max disagreed. "The professor here is the smartest guy I know. I bet he's smarter than Leslie!"

"Bah, I'm not."

"I disagree" Leslie chimed in. "Those inventions of yours are pure genius. I simply use what technology is available, but you _invent_. I can't do that; if you were to put your mind to it you probably could start your own car company."

"So, the way I see it, you and Leslie aren't that different when it comes down to it. Your approach is different maybe, but you're both showmen and risk takers. If you hate Leslie, maybe it's because you hate yourself" Maggie suggested.

"I don't hate myself!" Fate exclaimed. He searched to find a hole in her reasoning. "There is a big difference between your new husband and me; I have a mustache. More importantly, women throw themselves at him!"

"USED to throw themselves at me. I'm married now" Leslie quickly said, heading off any possible criticism from his wife. "And as an emancipated male, I have no need to prove myself with other women. Maybe you don't want women to throw themselves at you, Professor."

"Of course I do...well, theoretically. I don't have the time right now; they'd just distract me from what I'm doing."

Hans, who had been listening to the conversation in silence, spoke up. "You could relax and settle down someplace where you could start a car company. Someplace that would be happy to have your talents as a scientist and...as...a..._leader_."

"Oh no. No no no no! I'm not Prince Hapnick. _King_ Hapnick, either. I'm not going to be a puppet to Baron Von Stupid."

"Not a puppet. We get the Baron out of the way and you take over. The King's advisors were mostly running the government anyway; after helping the Queen for so many years they were better qualified than the new King himself. Most of the population doesn't even know anything happened the last time you came through. It just has to be until things are stabilized in the country."

"What's the difference if I'm doing it for you or the Baron?"

"The Baron doesn't have a body right now. Once he has you, all he needs is a convenient 'accident' and poor King Hapnick lies in state while the kingdom mourns and he consolidates power."

"Oh yes, the choice sounds so very simple while we're stuck down here in a cellar. Either way I'm going up against the Baron and his men" Fate assured them before being interrupted by some voices from above. "NOW who do they have?"

"Dinner maybe" Max said. "I'm starved."

"They've only fed me in the mornings" Hans countered. The sound changed to the chest being dragged. Although he considered charging the stairs when the door was opened, Leslie thought better of it and waited to the side with the others.

The door opened and a torch was thrust down into the space. "Boss? You down there?" a voice asked.

"Hezekiah!" Leslie shouted as he rushed forward to greet his friend and former mechanic. The two men pounded each other on the shoulders in a brief reunion. Leslie looked around. "I think we're all still acquainted."

"But boss..." Hezekiah started to object on seeing Fate and Max.

"No, they're okay" Leslie told his friend. "I'll vouch for them." Fate, somewhat stunned, bowed in recognition. "The reunion can continue later; we need to get out of here now."

"The guards upstairs are, ah, sleeping off a knock on the head" Hezekiah explained. "I figured this place was guarded for a reason when I came looking for you."

"Let's go" Hans suggested. "There may never be a better time."


	3. Chapter 3

The group made their way out of the building and split up; Hans led Fate into the castle through a little-known back entrance the Prince had used to sneak in and out, Leslie and Maggie took the main entrance since they were expected, and Hezekiah and Max searched for the two missing vehicles.

In a side garden, hidden in a vine-covered wall was a secret door that Hans led the professor to that led into a lower portion of the castle. "We don't have any clothes to dress you like King Hapnick, but if you take off your black cloak and stagger while you walk it should be convincing enough" he said quietly.

Fate removed his cloak and stashed it behind a display of armor. "I'll stagger tonight only when someone is watching" he proclaimed. "If I'm going to fill in as a ruler, it's going to be with a little more dignity from now on." Together, they made several turns, ducking into a side room at one point as approaching footsteps announced someone was ahead. After the sound of footfalls receded they continued on their way toward the King's private bedroom where the King's physician would routinely spend time to keep up the pretense of a sickly monarch. Once again they hid in a side room while they waited for the footsteps to pass, leaving the door open to see the guards leave. However, they stopped and stood patiently at attention just down the hall.

"How good of you to bring Professor Fate to me" a voice said behind them. Fate closed his eyes in dismay - he knew that voice. "I'd restore you to your former position of General, Hans, but I'm afraid that when I'm on the throne you won't be around any longer to regain your former title. I haven't decided on how you died, but I assure you it will be an honorable death."

"The only honor I want is to see you taken care of for good" Hans vowed as he grabbed a nearby sword and charged the Baron. Rolfe brought up a sabre he had in a sheath at the side of this wheelchair and deftly deflected Kuhster's thrust before running the sword through the former general. Hans straightened as the Baron withdrew the blade, looked at his chest in disbelief, and collapsed on the floor. "Care to try me as well, Professor?"

"I'm a scientist, not a fighter" Fate answered, looking at the crumpled body of Hans. "If you want to kill me, you'll have to do it in cold blood."

"Oh come on now; just pretend I'm your arch enemy the Great Leslie. That should get your blood boiling for sure! Have a go; I'm just an invalid in this chair."

Fate walked to a wall to his left and grabbed a sabre from the display and turned back to Rolfe before laughing, causing Rolfe to frown in confusion. "Sorry Baron; I've found that Leslie isn't the enemy I once thought he was. To tell you the truth, I kind of admire the man." He reversed his hold on the sabre and tossed it to the Baron hilt first. "Here, run me through with a clean blade; let me go out in style."

The blade clattered to the side as the throw was off its mark. The Baron shrugged and wiped his blade clean on his tunic. "Cold blood it is then. Have it your way."

"Not very sporting, is it Baron?" a voice came from behind the partially opened door. To the surprise of both men, Leslie stepped in around the door followed by Maggie; her skirt had been shortened immensely and she had nearly bare shoulders.

"How did you get past my guards?" Rolfe asked incredulously.

"Your men aren't nearly as emancipated as they should be" Maggie answered with a note of reproach. "They were easy to distract" she said as she tried to pull up a sleeve unsuccessfully.

"Good help is hard to find" the Baron countered. "So Leslie, we meet again."

"Indeed we do, Baron. As I recall, last time you ran away. I, ah, don't think you'll be doing that again."

Rolfe scowled. "No, not this time. But if you expect me to give up without a fight, you're wrong."

"I would never presume such a thing" Leslie continued as he walked over to the weapon display and pulled a sabre, swishing it as he tested its balance before he held it up in front of him. "_En garde_."

"You have me at a disadvantage, sir."

Leslie looked around the room until he found what he was looking for. "Professor, if you could help me even the odds please?" he asked as he pointed.

Fate looked along the direction indicated somewhat confused, and then he frowned when he understood. "You have got to be kidding."

"There is no point in sport unless you are sportsmanlike, and that includes fair play. If you would please." Fate mumbled and did as he was told. He crossed the room and picked up a heavy chair with a slight grunt, carrying it over with some effort to sit it in front of Leslie. As he was bent over, Leslie whispered "While I have the Baron engaged in combat, use the opportunity to slip out with Maggie. She knows where to go."

Fate stared at Leslie for a moment and a small smile found its way to his face, hidden from the Baron. He surprised himself by wishing "Good luck" back.

"Now Baron, we have a match. I have stability and you have freedom of movement. Shall we commence?"

Rolfe smiled and nodded his head slightly, keeping his eyes on Leslie. "Let's." He raised his sword in salute as did Leslie, and he rolled toward the seated man, before stopping short and thrusting his blade out. Leslie instinctively countered, to find that their tips were only an inch apart.

"Well met. No standing now."

"I won't if you won't, Baron." The two began to clash as Rolfe would attack or feign, measuring his opponent. He rolled to Leslie's offside and tried again; Leslie quickly shifted his chair. The Baron frowned.

"I didn't stand, but I can shift. Surely you don't intend to stab me in the back?" Leslie asked.

"The thought had occurred. Very well." The two met again and clanged swords as the fight began in earnest. While the Baron was busy adjusting his wheeled chair's position Fate slipped out the door, dragging Maggie with him. He quickly explained what Leslie had whispered; as much as she wanted to be present for the fight, she knew she was best used elsewhere. Together they crept past the knocked out guards and continued their journey while the sound of clashing steel grew fainter behind them through the now closed door.

Ears keenly bent on hearing the slightest sound, they finally made it to the King's door; with a nearly silent patterned knock learned from Hans, Fate waited until there was a sound of a lock being unbolted. The door opened a crack and an older face appeared just beyond. Astonishment splashed across the face before it was wiped off with something more like grim determination. The door opened quickly and the two were admitted into the room before it was closed and locked again.

"My god, you DO look like him" the man said. "Excuse any formality, but I can't help but think of you as the king. I'm Dieder, the king's physician." Fate and Maggie looked to either side of Dieder toward the bed, half-expecting to see a body lying on it. With a bit of relief, they found it empty. The doctor allowed himself a small chuckle and remarked "No, he isn't lying here; I don't think his body would have been very pleasant to be around after this amount of time. He's been prepared but lies in state elsewhere, safely hidden away from the Baron. Where's Hans?"

"The Baron got him" Fate said. "In front of my eyes" he elaborated.

Dieder closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. "He was a good soldier and friend. We all lived in fear of the Baron; and there's no telling if we might be next."

"Don't be too sure about that; he's dueling my husband right now" Maggie bragged. Dieder furrowed his eyebrows in question.

"Maggie is married to the Great Leslie; I dare say the Baron has his hands full at the moment" Fate explained.

"Amazing. Well, it might buy us enough time to pull this off. Are you with us?"

"It's a fine time to be asking me now!" the Professor exclaimed, then in a normal voice continued with "I am."

"Good. First we have to..." the doctor started, to be interrupted with a scream. He turned just in time to see a woman faint near a doorway. "I forgot about Anna!" He rushed over to the figure on the floor along with Fate and Maggie. "She's my daughter and has been helping me with 'treating' the King. I'm afraid the shock might have been a bit much for her; she was fond of our ruler." He rolled her onto her back and gently patted her cheek while calling her name.

Shortly she came around. "I'm sorry Father, for a moment I..." she started before shushed by Dieder.

"Quiet, my dear. This is Professor Fate, the man I told you about. I agree; he is a remarkable match for our King. Professor Fate, my daughter Anna."

The daughter reddened immediately while Fate bent over. "Phineas, please" he asked although he wasn't sure why.

"And I'm Maggie" the other member said, introducing herself. "Can you get up?"

"I think so - I'm dreadfully embarrassed. I've been training as a nurse, but it was the sight of a live person that took the wind out of my sails."

"And a fine nurse, too" her father boasted. "She'll probably turn out to be a better doctor than I am. She's certainly got the education for it."

"I just really like science" she admitted "and most of its disciplines offer something of interest."

"Indeed" Fate said, although at the moment he knew of no scientific principle that would account for his fuzzy thinking. It was almost like the effects of alcohol.


	4. Chapter 4

Back with the duel, both fighters showed some damage from the fight although the Baron looked the worst for it. He had to change tactics to have a chance. "We seem to be on our way to fighting to a draw; might I suggest something else?"

Leslie drew his sword up and evaluated the situation. He was winning - slowly. It would take some time to wear down the Baron, and any mistake could either negate his advantage or even be his downfall. "What do you have in mind? We've tried foils before, as you recall."

"Nothing as simple as that. Ever joust before?"

"No. I've ridden a horse many a time, but never that. I, ah, doubt that we'd manage that here - I seem to have forgotten to bring a stallion."

"Of course you did" the Baron said, finding no levity for the moment. "No, I propose a different type. I will charge in my chair while you defend from your seated position. Does the challenge appeal to you, or is it too much out of your comfort zone?" Rolfe asked, trying to goad the daredevil.

Leslie didn't take the bait, but he considered the situation. Surely there had been enough time for Maggie and Fate to make it to the physician; it was best to end this thing quickly if possible. "Equal lances?"

"Naturally. No fair one of us getting a longer reach." He waved to another wall that held several. Leslie nodded and with an eye on the Baron walked to the wall and selected two similar lances, carrying them back to Rolfe before holding them both out for inspection. The Baron waved the right to first choice and Leslie shrugged, pulling one back for himself while continuing to extend the other which was taken. Leslie returned to his chair while Rolfe backed up his chair before adjusting the direction so it pointed just to Leslie's right.

Leslie nodded, the Baron copied the gesture, and then started pumping his wheels to gather speed for the contest. As they met, both weapons hit the hand guard of the opponent's lance simultaneously, causing them to clatter to the floor while each fighter shook his hand from the sting of the impact. Small splinters from the tips were the only other indication that something had happened.

A tie.

"Again?" Leslie asked.

"Again" the Baron agreed. Both picked up their weapons and returned to their positions to repeat the process. Leslie noticed Rolfe doing something to his side but couldn't quite make it out while he waited. After a short time the Baron yelled "Charge!" and started forward again. Leslie decided to brace the butt of his lance against the back of his chair under his arm in an attempt to steady it. Suddenly there was a flash behind the Baron, and smoke and flame belched from behind his chair as he raced forward at much greater speed.

With nerves of steel Leslie waited, watching his point and ignoring the lance of his opponent. Just before he reached his opponent, Rolfe's front wheel skidded momentarily on a splinter which caused his chair to aim slightly to his right. He put his hand on the left wheel to correct, but applied too much pressure and the chair veered too far left just as the lances were to meet. Rolfe's lance glanced off the side of Leslie's arm, cutting through his shirt and gouging the skin. Leslie's lance, however, found its mark as it impacted the Baron's chest. The momentum of the Baron's chair continued to carry him further forward, driving the lance inward as the impact spun Leslie's chair around and took the lance out of his grasp. Rolfe went down on his side, the chair still sliding across the floor from the force of a small rocket on the back that finally sputtered and popped as it went out. Leslie bounded up and leaped over to the Baron but stopped short of rolling him over; the lance protruded out both front and back.

Rolfe looked up with rapidly fading eyes at his opponent. "No rematch" he muttered before expiring. Shaken, Leslie closed the man's eyes and gathered his strength before setting off to catch up with Fate and Maggie.

...

That night, Fate received the most intensive training he had ever had - becoming the King of Carpania. What the doctor didn't know about the King was eagerly supplied by Anna. How he walked, how he talked, and just who everyone was turned out to be too much even for the professor. Leslie and Maggie had already retired for the evening.

He rubbed his temples. "I appreciate all your work, but there just isn't enough time to become an exact copy of King Hapnick."

Exhausted, the Dieder agreed. "Maybe if we had more time. A LOT more time." Even though the threat of the Baron was eliminated, the kingdom still lacked leadership and it was still possible to have some type of power struggle.

"Does he have to be an exact copy?" Anna asked.

"What do you mean?"

"People have been known to come out of injuries different than before they were hurt. Why not an illness? A severe fever could have caused problems that left him...different."

"Go on" Fate prodded.

"For instance, it could be doctor's orders not to drink so much. Maybe it gave you memory problems, although I think the professor here has a far better mind than Hapnick ever had." She smiled, and Phineas returned the gesture before reaching for his face and feeling his lips. Something was happening to him; it must have been the pressure of the events.

"It could work. Maybe if we tell them you fell out of bed and struck your head it would be more believable" her father suggested.

"But all those people I'm supposed to know" Fate bemoaned.

"I'll stay by you as your nurse" Anna volunteered. "For the most part people know the King, not the other way around. I can give you hints and help where it's needed."

"I could do that" Phineas said dreamily, then cleared his throat. "At least until things settle down." For settling down, things got noisy very quickly when there was the sound of a large POW coming from the area of the courtyard.

"Gunshots!" Dieder yelled. "The Baron's men - he must have survived" he said, panicking.

"No...a backfire!" Fate corrected him. "My car! They must have found it!" He started to jump up to see his beloved Hannibal when Anna put her hand on his shoulder.

"Wait! If you must go down, are you going as Fate or as the King?" she asked.

"What difference does...oh...I see." He thought furiously. "Better make it the King. We'll pretend Max is the driver." Throwing on some of Hapnick's clothes, they hurried down to the courtyard and Fate saw his vehicle standing at rest with Max climbing out. Nearby, Hezekiah stood checking the Leslie Special. Both had spent a long day tracking down the vehicles; ultimately it was Hezekiah's sense of smell that the traced the machines to a large barn near the palace.

Fate started to speak to his friend when Anna interrupted. "Excuse me, but the King would like to see this amazing car if it's okay with you, sir" she addressed Max.

Max scratched his head, but then went along with the gag. "Sure. This is the Hannibal Twin-8..." he continued as he 'showed' the car to the King; anyone standing nearby might have noticed that the King had a remarkable grasp of engineering and a keen insight how things worked when in fact he was checking the car for any damage. He slid into the passenger seat beside Max and ran his finger along the dashboard, smiling. "Let me start it up for you" Max offered, jumping out of the vehicle.

Not understanding, Anna got in and sat down behind the steering wheel while Max turned the engine crank up front. The engine shook and roared to life, then settled into a steady idle. Anna felt the wheel, the shift knob, and the seats to soak it all in - she was sitting in an actual automobile. Adjusting her position, she pulled down a lever as she braced for leverage. Aghast, Phineas grabbed her and hurled both out of the vehicle. She was about to object when the driver's seat she had been sitting in launched itself through the roof of the car and over a nearby wall.

Lying on top of the professor, Anna looked into his eyes. "You _saved_ me."

"It was my pleasure" he murmured back. If she said something after she kissed him he didn't hear it; too filled were his ears with a roar as his senses tuned themselves to only soak in the beauty of her face.

...

"And thus it is with regret that I withdraw from the Paris to New York automobile race" Fate continue to dictate. "My retirement is effective immediately, but this in no way eliminates the need for the Great Leslie to finish the race to claim victory. However, it is my estimation that if anyone can do it, he is the one most capable. Signed, Professor Fate." He gave a flourish and Leslie finished writing the note and handed it to Anna. "The last we shall hear of Professor Fate."

"Remarkable. Men are pushed to great achievements by great opponents. I shall miss your competitive spirit" Leslie said as he shook hands with his former rival.

"Don't get too melancholy. When my next prototype rolls out of the new workshop I'm going to build I will be needing a top driver to test it out."

"Deal. Goodbye Max, you and the professor make a great team."

"You too Leslie. You and Maggie take care now, and come back to see us."

"I will." Leslie bounded out of the room and Phineas and Anna made their way to the window in time to see him jump over the door of the Leslie Special and land in the driver's seat. With a roar he and Maggie waved and were off in a cloud of dust.

"You know, he really IS great" Phineas said. "Now on to business. I've got the Eiffel Tower to pay for."

"I think _you're_ pretty great too," Anna said as she hugged him "but I think we already knew that."

The End

* * *

**A/N: This turned out a bit longer than I intended, but I wanted to resolve the end of the movie and my usual length short story just wouldn't cover it.**

**Not having seen this movie in many years, I actually got parts of this film mixed up with "Monte Carlo or Bust" ("Those Daring Young Men in their Jaunty Jalopies" in the USA) since both were made during the same era and both had Tony Curtis in the lead. But it WAS a fun movie.**


End file.
